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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. tube — a container
  3. firm — steady
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. tear — to rip
  8. spring — a coil
  9. spring — of water
  10. tear — from crying
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. firm — a company
  13. tear — from crying
  14. ball — a dance
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. spring — the season
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. track — a song
  20. ball — a great time
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. firm — decided
  23. track — to keep track
  24. tube — the underground

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com